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Teresa Williams appointed new registrar

Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.6494 | 

Lipscomb University has appointed Teresa Williams as its registrar, Provost W. Craig Bledsoe recently announced.

Teresa Williams“Teresa is highly and uniquely qualified for this role having been involved with the Lipscomb community in significant ways,” said Bledsoe. “In her work, she has shown creativity, innovation and effectiveness in leadership, and she has contributed greatly to student success.”

As registrar, Williams, who has been part of the Lipscomb University staff for 17 years, will oversee student records, class scheduling, graduation requirements, degree plans and transcripts among other services. Williams succeeds Janet Cates, who retired this spring after 25 years as registrar.

“The registrar’s office plays a key role in a student’s university experience,” said Williams. “We can help students remove potential roadblocks and complete their degrees more efficiently. My goal is to make this office more visible to students and to raise awareness of all that we can do to help them meet their degree goal.”

Williams sees her appointment as registrar as a natural progression in her career at Lipscomb. She began in the admissions office where she implemented and supported new recruiting software, coordinated the campus visit program and managed NCAA certification for the office, among other responsibilities. Williams also served in the provost’s office where she maintained academic standing records for undergraduate students as well as coordinated and implemented QuestWeek, the university’s fall student orientation week prior to the start of classes.

In 2006, Williams was appointed director of student advocacy, where she served as an ombudsman for students. In this role, Williams managed the university’s program for conditionally admitted students, monitored student academic performance with an early alert system that would flag the need for intervention and support to promote individual student success. Among her most notable accomplishments as director of student advocacy was her leadership in student retention, which resulted in a 5.2 percent increase in first-to-second year retention of students.

“I’ve been in enrollment management my entire career, but the missing component for me is this last piece of the puzzle,” said Williams. “This assignment completes the triangle of assisting students through their college walk. I’ve helped them access a college education through the admissions office and to stay in school through my retention work. Now, I can focus on helping them complete their degrees.”

Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lipscomb University. She is also currently pursuing a Master of Professional Studies in strategic leadership from Middle Tennessee State University.